July 16 (UPI) — The world mourns the loss of Jane Birkin, the renowned singer, and actress who passed away at the age of 76 in her home over the weekend.
“Because she embodied freedom and sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon,” expressed French President Emmanuel Macron in a translated statement on Twitter.
“A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She leaves behind tunes and images that will forever remain with us,” added Macron.
France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne acknowledged Birkin’s ability to transcend generations, while Rima Abdul Malak, France’s minister of culture, referred to her as the “most French of Britoses.”
“Jane B was mischief personified – an emblem of an entire era that exuded impertinent elegance. Her voice, forever whispering, will continue to be our idol. She was a woman of heart and conviction, and her departure leaves us feeling alone in Babylon,” expressed Malak on Twitter.
Although born in London, Birkin found her greatest success in France, where she not only mesmerized audiences with her singing but also became a fashion icon and the inspiration behind the renowned Hermes’ Birkin Bag.
Her collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg on the hit song “Je t’aime… moi non plus” catapulted the duo to international fame, despite the song being banned in some countries and condemned by the Vatican in 1968 due to its explicit sexual themes.
Birkin and Gainsbourg had a controversial 13-year personal and professional relationship that ended in 1980 due to Gainsbourg’s increasing alcoholism and violence, according to Far Out Magazine. However, they remained friends, with Gainsbourg continuing to write songs for Birkin. When Gainsbourg faced allegations similar to Harvey Weinstein, a former collaborator claimed that Birkin defended him.
The couple had a daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who has established herself as an award-winning singer and actress.
“Apart from her relationship with Gainsbourg, Birkin’s life was a seamless adventure – records, films, theater, love at first sight, and hard knocks,” highlighted the French publication LeMond in an article about Birkin.
In March 2022, she broke her shoulder, leading to the postponement of her concerts in Paris that were scheduled for May.
Milan Kundera
Author Milan Kundera poses for a photo in Madrid, Spain, on May 2, 2005. The reclusive writer, best known for “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” died at the age of 94 on July 11. Photo by EPA-EFE
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